POLL: 89% OF GOP PRIMARY VOTERS WANT A CONSERVATIVE HOUSE SPEAKER

From the Heritage Alliance:

DALLAS, Dec. 8, 2010 – In the first round of an ongoing, informal telephone poll, Heritage Alliance found more than 89 percent of registered Republican primary voters in favor of a more conservative Texas House Speaker to lead next year’s session.

In polling that began one week after the November elections, Heritage Alliance surveyed 8,238 “1R” voters—those who had participated in at least one recent GOP primary— in 43 of 99 GOP-held State House districts. (Voters were not polled in 21 districts where the State Representative had already called for a new State House Speaker.)

When asked, “If you want your State Representative to support a true conservative Republican for House Speaker, instead of a moderate Republican, press 1,” more than 89 percent indicated they wanted a more conservative Speaker.

Michael Smith, Executive Vice President of Heritage Alliance, said his organization called only registered voters because, “to quote pollster Scott Rasmussen, it’s the people who vote who ultimately decide everything.

“These are the voters who show up even for the primaries, when 9 out of 10 registered voters stay home,” Smith added. “They pay attention, and they act. Clearly this matters to them.”

Voters who favored a more-conservative House Speaker were given the URL to Heritage Alliance’s advocacy site (www.txvoice.com) and invited to call or e-mail their State Representative directly. In the case of districts where new Representatives take office in January, respondents had the option of calling or e-mailing their Representative-Elect.

“The 30 new Republicans elected in November called themselves ‘conservative’ throughout their campaigns,” Smith added. “This poll tells us their voters expect them to fulfill that promise.”

As of December 8, Heritage Alliance had polled less than half the 1R voters in 43 State House districts. Polling is expected to continue in these and additional districts for several weeks.

www.heritagealliance.com

Texas Voter Guides Available

Texas voters: early voting starts Monday, Oct 18 – you may want to check out these voter guides:

http://www.heritagealliancepac.com/voterguidepanel.php

http://www.freevotersguide.com/

The Texas Model - good policies continue to produce good results

The Texas Model
The Lone Star State speeds up its recovery with pro-business policies.

Texas already looms large in its own imagination. Its elevated self-image didn’t need this: More than half of the net new jobs in the U.S. during the past 12 months were created in the Lone Star State.



According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 214,000 net new jobs were created in the United States from August 2009 to August 2010. Texas created 119,000 jobs during the same period. If every state in the country had performed as well, we’d have created about 1.5 million jobs nationally during the past year, and maybe “stimulus” wouldn’t be such a dirty word.



What does Austin know that Washington doesn’t? At its simplest: Don’t overtax and -spend, keep regulations to a minimum, avoid letting unions and trial lawyers run riot, and display an enormous neon sign saying, “Open for Business.”



At bottom, the struggle between national Republicans and Democrats is over whether the country will adopt a version of the Texas model, or of the Michigan, New York, or California model. Will government allow the private sector to thrive, or stifle growth with its hyperactivity and favoritism for anti-business interests? If migration were a referendum, the Texas model would be winning in a rout — more than 1,300 people a day moved there between their 2007 and 2008 tax filings, according to Internal Revenue Service data.



It’s not as though Texas has been exempt from the Great Recession. Its unemployment rate is 8.3 percent — high, though beneath the national rate of 9.6 percent. It faces a recession-driven shortfall of roughly $15 billion for its next two-year budget, a significant challenge to its low-tax ways. But it has weathered the storm better than the nation, and better than its mammoth competitor on the West Coast.



A new Texas Public Policy Foundation report notes that Texas experienced a decline of 2.3 percent from its peak employment, while the nation declined 5.7 percent and California 8.7 percent. During the past 12 months, California nearly canceled out Texas’s job creation all by itself, losing 112,000 net jobs. Its unemployment rate is above 12 percent.



Texas is a model of governmental restraint. In 2008, state and local expenditures were 25.5 percent of GDP in California, 22.8 in the U.S., and 17.3 in Texas. Back in 1987, levels of spending were roughly similar in these places. The recessions of 1991 and 2001 spiked spending everywhere, but each time Texas fought to bring it down to pre-recession levels. “Because of this policy decision,” the Texas Public Policy Foundation report notes, “Texas’ 2008 spending burden remained slightly below its 1987 levels — a major accomplishment.”



Less spending means lower taxes. Texas doesn’t have an income tax — in contrast to California’s highly progressive income tax — and it is among the 10 lowest-tax states in the country. Its regulatory burden is low across the board, and it’s a right-to-work state that enacted significant tort reform in the middle of the last decade.



It is true that Texas enjoys bountiful oil and natural-gas reserves, but its attitude toward those resources is what’s most important — “if you got ’em, use ’em.” If only the Obama administration’s Department of the Interior agreed. The state long ago defied the stereotype of an economy entirely dependent on bumptious oilmen. In Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, it has four diverse, thriving metropolitan areas featuring robust high-tech and manufacturing sectors.



In Texas in recent decades, the watchwords have been prudence and stability in the course of nurturing a pro-business environment, while California has undergone a self-immolation that Pres. Barack Obama wants to replay nationally. Joel Kotkin writes of California in City Journal, “During the second half of the twentieth century, the state shifted from an older progressivism, which emphasized infrastructure investment and business growth, to a newer version, which views the private sector much the way the Huns viewed a city — as something to be sacked and plundered.”



With predictable results. For policymakers wanting to restart the American jobs machine, forget the Alamo. Keep in mind the Texas model.

The entire article can be found here: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/249868/texas-model-rich-lowry

Texas is top state due to good public policies

Texas vs. California – Texas is the clear winner “by a mile”

I’m proud to be a Texan! Comparing California and Texas is a great example of how public policies matter - and they impact not only the economy but our very way of life.

In Texas, the payroll count is back to pre-recession levels. California is nearly 1.5million jobs in the hole. Why such a difference? Chalk it up to taxes, regulation and attitude.

The contrast between America's two largest states, in terms of both population and economic heft, is as stark as it has ever been. Texas is leading the country out of the recession; California is holding it back.

The difference in tax systems reflects a difference in attitudes toward business and the wealth that business generates. Capital gains are tax-free in Texas; in California, they are taxed up to 10.55%. To an entrepreneur choosing where to set up shop, the message is clear: Texas wants to reward success; California wants to tax it.

Investors Business Daily has a great piece worth a read:

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=550471

Those Privileged to Work and Should Spread the Wealth

This morning, CBS’s Sunday Morning had a rare moment of -- should we call it objectivity?

The segment came on right before the record-setting rock skipper section. (51 skips – great Americana story even though a kilted Scott was also featured!)

Last week, Ben Stein commented that this was not the time to raise taxes on the top income-earners…those who create jobs.

CBS certainly could not let that statement stand without a firm rebuke.

This morning, Sunday Morning passed the mike to Linda McGibney, producer and writer on Sci Fi channel. Sci Fi? Really?

She likely knows as much about economics as Steven Colbert knows about immigration.

Ms. McGibney comments included: “I am willing to pay this tax increase…it is the cost of doing business…some of us need to sacrifice for our country.”

OK, Ms. McGibney. Write the federal government a check. I'm sure someone can give you the address.

She also said, “having a job is a privilege” – a privilege? She continued that those having that privilege should “spread the good fortune.”

I had no idea that work was a privilege and that those of us lucky enough to get up every day, work hard to earn a living and take care of our families, were also fortunate. What does privilege and fortune have to do with it?

I guess to some whether or not we earn a living is a roll of the dice. Either you are lucky enough to work or you are not. It’s that simple to this sci fi writer. Maybe in some alternate universe that is the case, but not in America.

But it gets worse. Ms. McGibney goes on to say that those of us lucky enough to work are greedy if we don’t want to use government as the vehicle to spread our wealth. Linda called this the cost of doing business. Really?

Who creates jobs, Ms. McGibney? Haven't we seen that using the government to spread the wealth just doesn't work?

Ms. McGibney's thinking is wrong on so many levels.

I love the nature segments which Sunday Morning leaves their viewers with. Today, it featured the tall cactus outside Tucson, Arizona. Frankly, Ms. McGibney's commentary left me a bit prickly.

Why do I watch CBS?

The Actual Truth About Bill White And Houston Property Taxes

The Actual Truth About Bill White And Houston Property Taxes
By: Bob Lemer

Former Houston mayor Bill White wants Texas voters to focus on Houston’s property tax experiences on his watch and his stewardship of the City’s finances. Fair enough.

First, let’s see what Bill White says, and then I will give you the actual truth.

Bill White says he cut Houston property tax rates. Yes, Bill White did cut Houston’s annual property tax rate in several years (by miniscule amounts) during his reign as Houston mayor during calendar years 2004-2009, obviously for later bragging rights when running for higher office.

What he doesn’t tell you is that, even with the miniscule cuts in the property tax rate, the City’s total property tax revenues established a new record high every fiscal year (ended June 30) that he was in office, due to dramatically increased property assessed values, considerably more so than due to new properties added to the rolls.

Bill White says he “balanced the budget” every year and increased each year-end general fund balance. Yes, Bill White did “balance the budget” each year (as required by law) and increased the general fund balance the first five of the six fiscal years under his watch.

But he did so solely by supplementing general fund revenues with the proceeds from property-tax-supported pension bonds, which are backend-loaded, thereby having to be paid off by future generations.

So Bill White’s claims are disingenuous, at best.

But here are the startling truths about Bill White and Houston property taxes
that he really doesn’t want you to know!

1. Even with record revenues from property taxes (and sales taxes) during every fiscal year (2004-2009) ended under mayor Bill White, the City of Houston’s annual expenses exceeded its revenues by $1.7 BILLION, in total. And $1.5 BILLION of the excess of expenses occurred by fiscal year end June 30, 2008, BEFORE the recession. This is so according to the City’s independently audited annual financial statements.

2. Bill White refused to have the City of Houston abide by the property tax law he himself tricked a fawning city council and a deliberately misinformed voting public into approving. White got city council to place Proposition 1 on the November 2004 ballot, and the voters approved it. Prop 1 was represented as placing an annual cap (lower of (a) per cent increase in population plus inflation or (b) 4.5%) on the City’s total property tax revenues. The voters were told that they would have to approve any total property tax revenues in excess of the Prop 1 cap.

However, when Prop 1 became effective, commencing with fiscal year 2006, the City began exceeding the Prop 1 cap every year. But mayor White refused to refund any annual excesses.

His reason? Prop 1 supposedly placed a cap on BUDGETED total property tax revenues, even though the ballot language said nothing about budgeted revenues and neither did public discourse on the measure.

Guess what. Commencing with the initially effective fiscal year (2006), the City suddenly started significantly under budgeting total property tax revenues. Prior to fiscal year 2006, the City was budgeting within 1% (both over and under) of what ended up as actual total property tax revenues every year (because of the timing of approval of the tax roll and rate approval).

3. When mayor Bill White took office in January 2004, his home was being taxed at an assessed value of $1,351,900, ONLY 48.2% of the $2,803, 200 fair market value (FMV) assigned to his home by the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD).

When Bill White left office six years later, his taxable assessed value had increased 10% per year to where it finally caught up with the HCAD assigned FMV. But that was possible only because HCAD had LOWERED HIS FMV to $1,961,704 at January 1, 2007 and then slightly increased it to $2,120,195 at January 1, 2008.

HCAD lowered the FMV because White’s property supposedly could be prone to flooding over time. HCAD stated that White did not request the reduction in value.

White’s supposedly unsought largesse from HCAD should be of extreme interest to the large number of Houstonians who had to go through exhaustive HCAD appeals, sometimes presenting pictures of water standing in their homes.

The HCAD assigned FMV of Bill White’s residence has remained at $2,120,195 for the last three annual tax rolls, unlike the experiences of most Houstonians.

4. Before Bill White won the Houston mayoral election in November 2003, he was the CEO of the Wedge Group, the owner of the office tower at 1415 Louisiana in Houston. He also was the Greater Houston Partnership’s liaison to the City, regarding the City’s finances.

Therefore, it is very interesting to observe the assessed taxable value (in millions of dollars) of the 1415 Louisiana office tower on the following January 1 tax rolls:

2001 $38.1
2005 $24.8
2008 $44.2
2002 $35.9
2006 $30.7
2009 $39.3
2003 $30.2
2007 $38.5
2010 $34.3
2004 $24.4

I am sure Houstonians are not pleased when comparing the Wedge Group’s assessment track record to their own City property tax experiences during the same period.

5. Before Bill White ran for mayor, he chaired a Greater Houston Partnership committee assigned to look at the City’s property tax supported debt. A Houston Chronicle editorial quoted White as saying at that time that the City’s level of tax-supported debt would not be tolerated in the private sector.

So what did White do after becoming mayor? He increased the property tax supported debt by 50%. Houston’s debt per capita now significantly surpasses that of the essentially bankrupt state of California.

So there you have it, the actual truth about Bill White and Houston property taxes.

Bill White and several Texas newspapers are clamoring for a debate. I am available any time White wishes to defend his record while mayor of Houston. But that debate will never happen, even though White is a highly experienced trial lawyer. For he knows he would be overmatched in that I have the numbers, including his.

Bob Lemer is a retired partner of a Big Four accounting firm. He has researched and written for over a quarter-century on the finances and operations of governments from the Houston local level to the state of Texas and federal levels. He may be reached at boblemer@sbcglobal.net.

Duck any attempts for a Lame Duck Session

Here is Sen. Snowe’s official statement on the lame duck issue.

I agree that Congress should not reconvene in a lame duck session after the November elections, since such sessions often are not productive. As a strong advocate for limited government and responsible governance, I share the concerns over the potential lack of accountability inherent in a lame duck session.

That puts both the Maine senators as clearly opposed to a lame duck session. (Congratultions, Americans for Prosperity for dogging that!)

Several other Senators and senate candidates have weighed in on a lame duck session:

Sen. Lindsey Graham: "I promise I will not vote yes on any policy bills during the lame duck session. I will even sign something if you want me to."

Sen. Russ Feingold, Wis.: "By allowing votes just after an election but before the newly elected Congress takes office, lame-duck sessions provide an opportunity to override the public's will as expressed at the ballot box. Rather than schedule a lame-duck session this year, Congress should complete its work before the upcoming elections."

Rep. Mike Castle, Del.: "The only business that should be conducted during a lame duck session of Congress is keeping the government running until the newly elected legislators are sworn-in. I do not agree with those who say this period of time should be used for passing controversial legislation and would not play a role in helping to circumvent the will of American voters."

Rep. Mark Kirk, Ill.: "The only legitimate thing for the Congress to do is to pass a short-term continuing resolution to keep the doors open -- and let the voice of the American people as communicated through their new representatives and senators speak in January."

Tom Pauken Promotes The Hartman Plan

This from Tom Pauken, Chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission:

The Obama administration has unveiled new initiatives ostensibly designed to put Americans back to work. Paying for its $50 billion infrastructure proposal by eliminating the incentives for domestic oil and gas production makes no sense at all to me and would be a job killer for Texas. Here is a better idea – it is called the Hartman Plan and would replace our onerous corporate tax system with a revenue-neutral, business consumption tax. Both the Washington Times and the Galveston Daily News recently ran viewpoint articles by me on this proposal to get Americans back to work. Below is an edited version of the Washington Times article.


An economic policy to put Americans back to work


By TOM PAUKEN
Updated: 09.07.10
Policies to put Americans back to work aren’t working.

Since the Obama stimulus spending program began in February 2009 and continued through May 2010, we have added 400,000 government jobs, while the nation has lost 2.7 million private-sector jobs.

So, what do we do instead? Strapped consumers will not spend us out of this recession. The key to economic recovery is to provide incentives to get the private sector moving again and encourage job creation here in the United States. Our current business-tax system is a major impediment to doing just that. The United States has a corporate income-tax rate of 35 percent, high payroll taxes and other burdensome taxes and regulations.

The existing tax structure rewards private-equity moguls for loading U.S. companies up with high levels of debt, while penalizing prudent business owners who would like to run their companies in a conservative fashion. That is because corporate debt is deductible under our current tax system, while employment, savings and capital investment are heavily taxed. No wonder the U.S. manufacturing base has lost one-third of its jobs over the past decade. That’s 5.5 million good American jobs that have been shipped overseas, outsourced or simply disappeared.

In addition to high tax rates, American businesses that have most of their plants and employees in the U.S. do not operate on a level playing field with our trading competitors. Every major trading country in the world –– except for the United States –– provides a tax advantage for domestic manufacturers. As countries have removed tariffs over the past four decades, they have replaced them with a value-added tax (VAT) which provides companies located in their countries with a significant economic advantage over foreign businesses. That averages out to an 18 percent disadvantage for U.S.-based manufacturers trying to compete overseas.

To make matters worse, foreign goods shipped into the United States enjoy an 18 percent VAT tax abatement –– yet are subject to none of the taxes imposed on U.S. manufacturers.

The solution to this dilemma is less complicated than one might think. Simply replace our existing corporate-tax system with a revenue-neutral, 8 percent business consumption tax. This border-adjusted VAT would not apply to U.S. exports, but would be applied to all imports.

This business consumption tax would allow for the expensing of fixed investment, eliminating the double taxation of investments. These changes in the way we tax business would result in an accelerated growth of savings and investment, while creating private-sector jobs. In the long run, the business consumption tax would bring in a lot more revenue than the taxes it would replace because the national economy would grow much faster. We would have a tax system that would encourage companies to create jobs in the United States and keep them here.

This is a real economic-stimulus plan to put Americans back to work.

Tom Pauken, a former Reagan administration official, is the chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission.

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/09/09/deer_park_broadcaster/opinion/090910_edit_pauken.txt

TX leaders wear boots and have balls: sue the EPA

Texas has sued the EPA in a fight to maintain control over the air quality permitting process – one which the EPA has essentially okayed for 16 years, and one which has met the air quality standards set by the federal government.

But Texas didn’t do it just how the Obama EPA wants it done.

I love how Texas AG Greg Abbott started the letter to EPA administrator Jackson and the regional guy:

“In order to deter challenges to your plan for centralized control of industrial development through the issuance of permits for greenhouse gases, you have called upon each state to declare its allegiance to the Environmental Protection Agency's recently enacted greenhouse gas regulations - regulations that are plainly contrary to Unites States laws…To encourage acquiescence with your unsupported findings you threaten to usurp state enforcement authority and to federalize the permitting program of any state that fails to pledge their fealty to the Environmental Protection Agency.”

Then the letter gets serious…

I love Texas!!! Our leaders wear boots and have balls!

"On behalf of the State of Texas, we write to inform you that Texas has neither the authority nor the intention of interpreting, ignoring, or amending its laws in order to compel the permitting of greenhouse gas emissions."

Full letter: http://www.scribd.com/doc/35298358/Texas2EPA-Letter-Aug-2-2010

-- Peggy Venable

Teacher Union antics - there they go again!

The Los Angeles teachers union president said Sunday he was organizing a “massive boycott” of The Times after the newspaper began publishing a series of articles that uses student test scores to estimate the effectiveness of district teachers.

“You’re leading people in a dangerous direction, making it seem like you can judge the quality of a teacher by … a test,” said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, which has more than 40,000 members.

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/08/16/teachers-union-calls-for-boycott-of-la-times-for-publishing-test-score-analysis/

How dare the media report on teacher performance!!! I guess taxpayers don't really have a right to know what kind of job they are doing, at least not according to the teacher union.

Hollywood streets paved with your tax dollars? AFP Ad Is Eye-Opener

A new television ad starting today in 11 states and over 27 media markets educates citizens about the straining effects of out-of-control government spending on the American taxpayer.

The street of Hollywood are paved with tax dollars, not gold but the $862 billion stimulus paid for pork barrel projects all across the country, including $1.1 million to pave Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, while America lost 2.7 million jobs,” the ad states.

View the ad here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCCIQuKTo7Q

The pork barrel stimulus cost every American family $10,000. The wasteful spending must stop.

The $4.1 million ad buy will run on network and cable channels in Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin starting today, August 16, and will continue through August 29.

The TV ad is part of Americans for Prosperity Foundation’s Spending Crisis initiative, which educates citizens on the disastrous effects of wasteful government spending. Washington’s wasteful spending habits are bankrupting America. Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity Foundation, said “Hardworking taxpayers deserve to know that their tax dollars are being used wisely.”

The ad also encourages citizens to go to http://www.SpendingCrisis.org/ where they can share examples of wasteful spending in their area.

Glenn Beck Defends AFP

Glenn Beck has also address the Presidential attack on Americans for Prosperity:

Beck discussing the Obama comments bashing AFP at a fundraiser early this week in Austin.

Video here: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/videos/?uri=channels/390088/999420

Trascript here: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/44234/

After all, can't citizens organize without using federal dollars and a liberal, socialist agenda?

Obama stoops to trash grassroots organiztion - Keep up the good work!

President Barack Obama was at the plush Four Seasons Hotel addressing mega-donors to the Democratic Party on Monday when he attempted to trash Americans for Prosperity:

“Right now all around this country there are groups with harmless-sounding names like Americans for Prosperity, who are running millions of dollars of ads against Democratic candidates all across the country. And they don't have to say who exactly the Americans for Prosperity are. You don't know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation. You don't know if it’s a big oil company, or a big bank. You don't know if it’s a insurance company that wants to see some of the provisions in health reform repealed because it’s good for their bottom line, even if it’s not good for the American people.

“A Supreme Court decision allowed this to happen. And we tried to fix it, just by saying disclose what’s going on, and making sure that foreign companies can’t influence our elections. Seemed pretty straightforward. The other side said no.
“They don't want you to know who the Americans for Prosperity are, because they're thinking about the next election. But we’ve got to think about future generations. We’ve got to make sure that we’re fighting for reform. We’ve got to make sure that we don't have a corporate takeover of our democracy.”

Today, radio talk show host Mark Levin rebuked Obama:

https://www.sickofspending.com/levin_clipped.mp3

Obama specifically attacked AFP by name. Is this Presidential? Who does this? A Hugo Chavez wanna-be does this. Americans for Prosperity is trying to save this republic.

It is worth a listen.

AFP existed long before the Citizens United decision. And long before Obama was on the national scene – and will be around long after he has left office.

Obama will not intimidate us…will not drive us away. Honest American citizens can influence this government and stop the Pelosi-Reid-Obama Agenda.

After all, we aren’t Americans for Redistributing Wealth – we are Americans for Prosperity.

When the President is so worried about YOU – Americans for Prosperity members – and we are using the community organizing tools against the Community Organizer.

He wants to demean, smear…if you weren’t effective, he would not waste his time. Yes, we are on his radar screen. He can watch us…we will not go away.

We are to defend the constitution and stand on the shoulders of the Founding Fathers and we won’t be intimidated.

We are creating a new army of patriots. Hundreds of thousands of us. Our goal is nothing less than liberty.

Here are Obama’s Austin remarks:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/09/remarks-president-a-dnc-finance-event-austin-texas

-- Peggy Venable, Texas Director, Americans for Prosperity

MSM plotted to kill Rev. Wright story

As a former journalist, I read things like this and hear of the "Journolist" and see why the public has lost faith in the main stream media and has turned to "new" media for their news: http://dailycaller.com/2010/07/20/documents-show-media-plotting-to-kill-stories-about-rev-jeremiah-wright/

I am eager to head to RightOnLine in Las Vegas this week for networkinng, training and conversations with other bloggers and new media on the Right. www.RightOnLine.com

First, headed to Waco for the "Soured on Spending" tour - Congress is bankrupting America and we our out to reveal just who is mortgaging our children's future. It's hot so we will have a lemonade stand, fans and material letting citizens know how they can get involved. www.afptx.org

-- Peggy Venable

Liberal Media Blames Public for Obama's Drop in Polls

You may be spoiled if you are concerned about America’s future. No matter that our unemployment rates are sky-high, that the country is $13 trillion in debt, that Congress is overspending and that the government is taking over financial institutions, auto companies, and trash-talking America abroad. As one activist put it, Obama should be mailing taxpayers the KY.

Americans are spoiled.

That’s right. The liberal media has gone off the deep end trying to explain why Obama’s polling numbers are dive bombing. They think you are spoiled…
“Liberal talk radio host Bill Press says President Obama's poll numbers are down because Americans are spoiled, impatient children that want everything solved yesterday.
“After describing to his listeners Tuesday all the fabulous accomplishments this president has made since taking office in January 2009, Press admonished the citizenry for giving the White House resident poor grades for his efforts.
"I think this says more about the American people than it does about President Obama," barked Press


Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/07/14/bill-press-obamas-poll-numbers-down-because-americans-are-spoiled-children#ixzz0twM56MA3

Did Texaas anti-Freedom Network Rig the Poll?

The Lone Star Report did a great job pointig out how the poll which appeared in the Houston Chronicle recently was nothing short of rigged. The "findings" claimed that most Texans don't want the elected State Board of Education to set the curriculum.

(It fell short of simply saying parents wanted to slow down in front of the school and let their kids jump out - leaving the teachin' and raisin' to the educrats.)

You will want to read LSR's Andy Hogue's analysis:

http://www.lonestarreport.org/Management/BlogManagement/tabid/62/EntryId/689/Questionable-poll-claims-strong-support-for-circumventing-SBOE.aspx

Sens. KBH, Cornyn Oppose Financial Takeover

AFP-Texas Praises Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn
for Opposing Financial Takeover

In response to yesterday’s vote on the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill, Americans for Prosperity-Texas Director Peggy Venable issued the following statement:

“We commend Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn for holding firm and opposing the disastrous Obama-Dodd-Frank big bank bailout bill that will cost taxpayers billions.

“This bill will all but guarantee future bailouts. It does nothing about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It takes the choice of ‘credit or debit’ away from consumers. It creates a new federal agency with thousands of bureaucrats that will tie up everyday financial transactions in red tape. It will not prevent another financial crisis, but it will dramatically expand the size, cost, and intrusiveness of the federal government.

“AFP-Texas members appreciate that Senators Hutchison and Cornyn opposed this terrible legislation, and when they struggle against the red tape of the bill’s new federal bureaucracy they will remember that it was the 60 senators who voted for the bill who are responsible.”

EDUCATION VOUCHERS BENEFIT EDGEWOOD ECONOMY

From 1998 to 2008, the Children's Educational Opportunity Foundation funded tuition vouchers for residents of San Antonio's Edgewood Independent School District that ranged in value from $2,000 to $4,700 per year, depending on the student's grade level and whether the selected school was in the Edgewood district. The vouchers were available to any student in Edgewood whose family chose to participate, regardless of academic ability or income. After 2003-2004, budget limitations forced the foundation to restrict vouchers mostly to continuing students.

Thus, unlike most voucher programs, the Edgewood program did not limit vouchers to a few low-income students in poor performing public schools, and the program was funded long enough to have measurable effects on student performance and the community. This resulted in not only educational gains for both participating and nonparticipating students, but also economic gains for the Edgewood neighborhood, says John D. Merrifield, a professor of economics at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a senior fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis.

Prior to the voucher program, Edgewood enrollment was declining as students' families moved out or students enrolled in other schools. Property values declined 12.2 percent in the three school years prior to implementation of the voucher program in 1998. This trend was reversed after the voucher program was introduced, says Merrifield:

From 1998-2001 Edgewood's property value rose 16.2 percent.

Compared to five other districts with similar demographics but no voucher program, Edgewood's property value gain from 1998-2001 was second highest.

From 1998-2005, Edgewood's property values rose 54.6 percent -- the highest among the districts compared.

Comparing Edgewood's growth to other similar districts helps control for factors such as inflation.

The number of single-family dwellings in Edgewood grew by 2.1 percent in 1998-2001, 4.9 percent over the 1998-2005 period and 7.4 percent over the decade (1998-2008) during which the voucher program was running; this was second fastest among the comparison districts in all three periods.

Single-family home prices increased by an average of approximately $6,500; in turn, property tax revenue rose, netting the district an extra $10.6 million.
The Edgewood experiment shows that policymakers can reap significant economic development and educational benefits at no net fiscal cost by implementing school choice programs like universal vouchers, says Merrifield.

Source: John D. Merrifield, "Education Vouchers Benefit Edgewood Economy," National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis No. 714, July 15, 2010.

For text:

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba714

Did Obama Lie? Health care tax will hit middle America

Then-candidate Barack Obama said, "No family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase." (September 12, 2008)

One little-known fact about the health care bill that Obama pushed and Congress passed is found in the 2011 W-2 Tax Forms.


Title IX Revenue Provisions—Subtitle A: Revenue Offset
"(Sec. 9002) Requires employers to include in the W-2 form of each employee
the aggregate cost of applicable employer-sponsored group health coverage
that is excludable from the employee's gross income (excluding the value of
contributions to flexible spending arrangements)."


So starting in 2011—next year—the W-2 tax form sent by your employer will be
increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you are provided.
It doesn't matter if you're retired. Your gross income WILL go up by the amount
of insurance your employer paid for. So you’ll be required to pay taxes on a larger
sum of money that you actually received. Take the tax form you just finished for
2009 and see what $15,000.00 or $20,000.00 additional gross income does to
your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next year. For many it puts you into a
much higher bracket. This is how the government is going to buy insurance for
fifteen (15) percent that don't have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases, but it's not really a "tax increase" as such, it a redefinition of your taxable income.

Also, go to Kiplinger's and read about the thirteen (13) tax changes for 2010 that
could affect you.

If this doesen't get to you, then check your pulse. You may be a flatline...

Should you want to verify this, go to http://www.thomas.gov/, enter "HR 3590"
in the search box and look for "CRS Summaries."

Is this a tax increase? Does Obama think we are stupid?

"It's the economy, Stupid!"

A new CBS poll has confirmed what any rational, sane adult in America knows. Obama is doing an abysmal job running our country.

Fully 38% say the economy is the number one issue. 54% disapprove of Obama’s handling

Strong disapproval is of Obama is 41%.

“It's not all about Obama; even among people who approve of his job performance, 51 percent are inclined to look for someone new for Congress.”

People want to put the brakes on the Obama agenda.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010_Elections/poll-2010-elections-confidence-in-obama-drops/story?id=11146584

If 9/10 Don't Pay, Who Pays?

Have you ever wondered about that “Hoveround” ad on TV: “9 out of 10 people pay little or nothing for their hoveround.” It is advertised as a “new electric wheelchair” and appears to be to electric wheelchairs what scooters are to the motorcycle. Don’t even Left-eologues (a term I have coined and hope it catches on) get it? Somebody pays – and I’m not in one of those chairs. Hum…I pay taxes. Guess I bought one!

I didn’t need cold-weather boots in Iraq

Government Spending…
I didn’t need cold-weather boots in Iraq
By James Bernsen

In the case of social welfare spending, some government dollars, in fact, are counter-productive. Most rational people agree on the need for some kind of social safety net, but what we've constructed instead isn't a safety net but a hammock. Government on all levels has been subsidizing indolence for years, and it has only increased.

Read more here: http://www.rrleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=7&ArticleID=25005&TM=34288.11

There Obama goes again...cap and trade

I am plagerizing what was written by a North Dakota public utility commissioner - it applies for Texas, too - so here is the Texas version:

As President Ronald Reagan would say, "There they go again."

The Associated Press reported on June 29 that President Obama is
working with several Senators to "quietly draft" a version of Cap and
Trade deemed "utility-only."

They have been trying for 18 months to force a bill to destroy our fossil fuel industry. The people of the United States and North Dakota are against such a bill. This has not stopped the President and his allies.

The worst oil spill in history is wrecking havoc on our country. In true Chicago style, instead of focusing on stopping the leak and cleaning up the mess, it is being used to push another version of Cap and Trade.
This new version of the old bill is aimed directly at Texas.

A "utility-only" version of Cap and Trade means increased costs for refineries and power plants resulting in at least a 25-40 percent increase in utility costs and thousands of lost jobs for our state.

In addition to our strong fossil fuel industries, wind, biofuels, and other renewable energy sources continue to increase and Texas is number one in the country for wind power.

Texas’ balanced approach to energy development should be modeled by Washington, not punished.

It is time the President deliver a realistic policy that leads us towards genuine energy independence, not one that will wipe out our state's economy.

Experts set to tackle offshre drilling safety

With news of tarballs on Texas beaches and the Obama Administration having no plan to clean up the gulf, incompetence is rampant.

Yesterday, Gov. Perry announced the formation of the Gulf Project, a coalition that will bring together the state’s most respected energy and environment experts, our top research universities and state officials to help ensure Texas never endures a disaster like the one now occurring in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. I hope you will all take a moment to visit the governor’s website to learn more about this initiative and spread the word about Gov. Perry’s efforts to improve the way we secure our energy sources while protecting our environment. In the governor’s words, “The Gulf Project will produce the kind of sound science that leads to informed decisions and a new era in which energy exploration is not only safer for the men and women working the rigs but also much safer for the environment.”

Now, let's hope the Gulf State leaders can get together and develop a plan to clean up the mess as they look for ways to continue to drill offshore. We need domestic oil production, energy security and affordable fuel.

NASA's new Lofty Mission: Allah is Final Frontier

NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- has had some lofty missions. (Think mission to the moon.) But now, it appears President Obama has diverted their focus from outter space to feel-good international politics.

In a June 30 interview with al Jazeera, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that his "perhaps foremost mission" is to "find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science."

What's unclear is what Mr. Bolden believes the United States has to gain by reaching out to a part of the world that has been technologically stagnant for centuries.

http://www.facebook.com/l/dca89K3CevzU7_I2Ic9ThYxPnKQ;www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/6/allahs-final-frontier/

Taxpayer funded lobbyists "paid handsomely" but what do they do?

Taxpayers and citizens advocates - take notice! We thought you might like this post by Phil Fountain, referencing the HillCo lobby war:
http://www.empowertexans.com/Issues/lobby_war_greater_transparency


The section is particularly interesting:

...Particularly when many lobbyists are "getting paid handsomely" (a phrase used by Mr. Schwartz) to represent governmental entities, such as cities, counties, school districts, municipal utility districts (or MUDs), etc., yet there is little to show for their work. There's typically not a written legislative agenda regarding specific legislation, and tax-funded lobbyists rarely testify before legislative committees.

Take Fred Hill, for example, he's a former legislator that now represents governmental entities as a lobbyist. During the 2009 legislative session, Mr. Hill appears to have been paid by at least eight North Texas cities, yet never once testified at a public committee hearing.

Mark Levin amplifies voice of AFP

Mark Levin is partnering with Americans for Prosperity.

AFP is partnering with Mark Levin to harness the grassroots Americans who are the voice of liberty and are willing to remind elected officials that November IS coming… www.NovemberIsComing.com.

On a conference call today with key activists, Levin asked "without the grassroots, would DC be listening? Would even one party be listening?"

If elected officials vote for bigger government, if they ignore our constitutional government, and continue to ignore the will of the people, the voters will vote against them in November.

After all, without grassroots Americans rising up and making sure their voices are heard, who would be listening?

Mark Levin is known as a constitutional lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, but he is, first and foremost, a dog lover (which endears him to me, as I am The Gipper’s Mom.)

You can hear Mark Levin as a spokesman for the November Is Coming effort live streamed 6-9 pm TX time: http://www.marklevinshow.com/sectional.asp?id=32930 (or catch the replay 24/7).

Or listen live on the radio. Here are major radio stations where Levin’s show broadcasts in Texas:
• KBCT FM 94.5 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.lonestar94.com/ Waco, TX
• KSTA AM 550 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.ktsa.com/\ San Antonio, TX
• KXBT FM 98.9 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://989bigtalker.com/ Austin, TX
• KPNS AM 1350 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.perry-pub-broadcasting.com/KPNS/ Duncan, OK
• KWFS AM 129 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.newstalk1290.com/ Wichita Falls, TX
• WBAP AM 820 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.wbap.com/> Fort Worth, TX
• KPRC AM 950 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.950kprc.com/> Houston, TX
• KTRH AM 740 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.ktrh.com/> Houston, TX
• KTSM AM 690 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.ktsmradio.com/El Paso, TX
• KIXZ AM 940 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.newsradio940.com/ Amarillo, TX
• KFYO AM 790 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.kfyo.com/ Lubbock, TX
• KZTK FM 99.3 http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.993talkfm.com/ Noonday, TX

Stay tuned as Mark Levin amplifies the voice of Americans for Prosperity and our freedom-loving members! – Peggy Venable (follow me on Twitter @pvenable or our blog: www.afptx.org)

Texas is booming, thanks to good fiscal policies

Texas is booming; New York, not so much.

We hate to say "we told you so" (not really) but it's all over the Internet. Texas is outpacing other states in job creation.

In a recent interview with Hot Air and conservative blogger Melissa Clouthier, he said, “States that have good polices … those are going to be the states that people are going to move to,” and pointed out that Texas is among the fastest-growing states for good reason: “That’s the place where there’s more liberty, more freedom, than any other state.”

Read the entire story here on The Hill Pundits Blog:

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-a-budget/105855-texas-is-booming-new-york-not-so-much

And count the ways Texas is #1 thanks to relatively good fiscal policies: www.LoneStrStrong.com

Scrutiny of TexasOne falls short

Texas is No. 1 in job creation. A recent Austin America-Statesman provides half the story on Texas economic development.

Today, the Austin American-Statesman published a story on TexasOne (http://www.texasone.us/about-texasone.html). TexasOne is the privately-funded entity designed for economic development in Texas.

In a cursory read, this is a fair story. They did a lot of research. Readers are told these are not tax dollars, and the companies participating see benefit from it.

(Thanks, AAS, for sending me to the TexasOne website for the first time.)

What fails to be included but needs to be included is the fact that Texas has the most vibrant economy in the country. While the recession has impacted Texas, we have still created more jobs than any other state and we are #1 in business relocation. Texas is the top exporting state in the country. Texas is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state – that has happened under Perry’s watch.
The AAS article fails to point out the most important fact -- Texas is the top job-creation state in the country. So while the reporter provides scrutiny, he fails to acknowledge that the program has been wildly successful. The Texas economy and Texas taxpayers benefit from TexasOne.

While the State of Texas is in the black and has money in the bank (the Texas Budget Stabilization “Rainy Day” Fund), while Texas is only one of four states in the black and only one of two large states which is not bankrupt, the Obama Administration and Congress are spending our children’s future and bankrupting America. Isn’t it time we get our priorities straight? Texas is the model the rest of the country should be following.

-- Peggy Venable, Texas Director, Americans for Prosperity

Read the AAS article here:
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/perry-taps-corporate-fund-to-market-texas-for-770073.html?plckItemsPerPage=25&plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:5dbd38da-691d-41c5-ab5f-b4fb0516444b#pluck_comments_list

Texas Social Studies Curriculum: check it out for yourself

Today, June 25, 2010, the Texas Education Agency posted the newly adopted Texas Social Studies TEKS (standards for Grades K-12) that were adopted for Second Reading and Final Adoption (with technical edits) by the Texas State Board of Education on May 21, 2010.

Now everyone can see for themselves what was adopted, and the public will no longer have to rely upon the liberal-left media and other such groups who have deliberately misrepresented the work of the Texas State Board of Education members. (And I am referring to the Texas anti-Freedom Network and the American Atheists, Inc.)

Here is the Texas Education Agency link:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=3643

See commentary on this at: www.texaslegislativeupdate.wordpress.com

See set the record straight at www.juststatethefacts.com

Liberty Institute sets the record straight

TEA should release the text version of the final social studies standards today.

See the Liberty Institute (formerly Free Market Foundation) commentary on this at: www.texaslegislativeupdate.wordpress.com

See them set the record straight at www.juststatethefacts.com

Texas Social Studies Standards are exemplary

This information from Texas Rep. Dan Flynn:

I have spent considerable time working with conservative groups and testifying before the State Board of Education (SBOE) to assure our Texas’ students deserve science education, not political indoctrination as the new reading materials will promote the phonics-based approach and for the first time in thirty years, phonics returns to Texas public schools.

In information provided by SBOE members we are pleased to report that In terms of new science textbooks, experts on both sides agree that Texas will implement world class standards. Some “experts” opposed the right of high school students to ask honest questions about research and theories, especially those that deal with evolution and “global warming.”

The new science materials will allow for careful examination and critical thought.

The new standards by the SBOE agree with 85% of the recommendations of social studies experts. Despite a nationwide campaign of lies, the only person mentioned more that Thomas Jefferson is George Washington; and the Declaration of Independence, authored by Jefferson, is required study in all twelve grades.

The Texas Education Agency agrees that the new standards more than doubles the minority representation of any previous SBOE, including the increased presence of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and civil rights activist, Cesar Chavez.

Another important issue SBOE voted to send the Legislature $1.2 Billion in the next 12 months for purchase of textbooks. Sadly certain Editorial Boards have said that the Texas Legislature refuse to appropriate funds for new reading, science, and social studies textbooks for the children of Texas. For them to make such a claim is simply untrue.

The funding for the books will not be a cost to the Texas taxpayers as the SBOE are stewards of the $22 Billion Permanent School Fund, commonly known as the Children’s Textbook Fund. Funding will come from the Capital appreciation of this endowment will allow the SBOE to provide full funding to pay for new textbooks.

The reason the liberals are incensed is because the SBOE conservatives successfully defeated each one of their radical recommendations. Especially when they wanted to continue their funding of decades-old failed experiments in reading and writing, or deny students the right to ask probing questions in science class or to promote a radical ideological agenda that distorts history and opposes American patriotism.

Birdwell win spells toast for Cong. Edwards

Fasten your seatbelts, folks in TX SD 22 and TX Cong Dist 17. Change is on the horizon. Serving in the US Congress since 1991, Cong. Chet Edwards fate may have been sealed tonight. Let's explain...

Gulf War vet Brian Birdwell has defeated former state senator and fellow Republican David Sibley in a special runoff to fill the state senator Kip Averitt.

This is a special election to serve out the Averitt seat after Averitt steps down due to health concerns. No session is slated until after the NEXT election in November, when Republican county chairmen select who runs on the Republican ticket for the seat.

If that's not strange enough, let's look to Democrat Cong. Edwards who has served in Congress representing two different districts since 1991. He's on House Budget and Appropriations Committees -- powerful committees.

Why does the Birdwell win spell disaster for Edwards? Though a Democrat, Edwards voted against ObamaCare and against Cap and Trade. But did he vote against them with the blessings of Democratic leadership, knowing the measures would pass?

This writer doubts his voters will care.

The Waco tea party was the big winner, and legislator-turned-lobbyist-turned candidate again David Sibley got a spanking tonight. Politics as usual won't cut it in the Waco area. Sibley had once been a powerhouse in the Texas Senate, turned a powerful -- and high paid -- lobbyist. That doesn't sit well with voters today.

With the powerful once-silent voices of voters eager for accountability and change in politics, Edwards would be wise to plan his next career. A career out of politics.

Bill Flores - start shopping D.C. real estate.

Voters to Congress: Stop Bankrupting America

Cumulative sticker shock has set in


One of the reasons the federal budget is chronically in the red is that most people, historically, couldn't care less. The national debt is an unfathomable abstraction that doesn't show up on your 1040 or your monthly bills. Over the last few decades, very few people lost sleep worrying if the budget would ever be in balance. That is, according to one columnist:

http://townhall.com/columnists/SteveChapman/2010/06/20/an_end_to_spending_excess

However, Americans have woken up. Sticker shock has set in.

AFP Foundation has launched a campaign Stop Bankrupting America and AFP is following up with www.NovemberIsComing.com.

What can citizens do? First, sign the November is Coming petition (link above), then circulate that to five friends and encourage them to sign.

If we want to stop bankrupting America, we must each take action to make sure that we have a Congress which will stop overspending. If you want to know your Congressman’s spending record, sign the November is Coming pledge. And pass the word. Together, we CAN take back America!

Environment and the Constitution are both important

Protect the environment AND the Constitution

Was Cong. Joe Barton right in apologizing to BP?

Should the Obama Administration bypass the courts, and Congress, and assume Supreme power and authority over reimbursement of those harmed by the oil spill?

Does Obama believe in separation of powers or is he omnipotent?

So many questions. Yes, Obama fired the president of GM. That was unprecedented action – government officials picking corporate presidents.

Obama has now ordered BP to fund a $20 billion compensation fund.

Nobody wants to go to BP’s defense, particularly if BP is found negligent. But our courts are designed to determine guilt or innocence. Clearly, BP is an enormous international company and should be held responsible for the harm they have caused the environment and businesses/individuals who rely on the Gulf for their livelihood.

Does the Obama recognize any limits to the President’s power? Clearly they do not. Obama appears to think he governs all three arms of government.

So Cong. Barton is half right. He should not be apologizing to BP but to the American people for a Congress which is not able to hold the President’s power in check.

What can we do? Go to www.NovemberIsComing.com

Texas Tramples California - every day, in every way

That's right, “Hat and Cattle” Texas Tramples “politically correct and pathetic” California.

“Texas vs. California”—hardly any phrase more succinctly captures the battle going on today for America’s philosophical soul.

“… the subtext of this post should be clear: the Obama administration is behaving as though California were its model for growth. Increasing unfunded liabilities, proposing $1 trillion in new healthcare spending, responding to the economic crisis with new regulatory agencies but balking on the core causes of the problem—all of this and more betrays a sinister psychology of policy making.

“Like California, the Obama team and their congressional allies seem to think that entrepreneurs and business leaders will simply sit there and take it.”
The article points out:

First, Texans on average believe in laissez-faire markets with an emphasis on individual responsibility.

Second, Californians have largely treated environmentalism as a “religious sacrament” rather than as one component among many in maximizing people’s quality of life.

Third, California has placed “ethnic diversity” above “assimilation,” while Texas has done the opposite..

Fourth, beyond taxes, diversity, and the environment, Texas has focused on streamlining the regulatory and litigation burden on its residents.

Let's be perfectly clear, the Texas record is not an accident. Texas is creating more jobs than the rest of the country and number one in business relocation thanks to fiscally conservative leadership -- Gov. Rick Perry, Lt Gov. David Dewhurst, and the Texas legislature. We tip our Stetson to them!

(this is taken from The American – the Journal of American Enterprise Institute’s “The Enterprise Blog” written by Ryan Streeter is a senior fellow at the London-based Legatum Institute.)

http://blog.american.com/?p=7451#sf403389

For more ways Texas is the beacon of fiscal sanity in the country -- prehaps the world -- go to: www.LoneStarStrong.com - Peggy V.

Hutchison, Cornyn say - let foreign vessels in to help in cleanup

Didn't Obama's press lackey Gibbs say that the Administration had placed no impediments upon foreign ships coming into the Gulf to assist in the clean-up? Mind you, he did not claim the Administration had asked for any help or sought expertise from domestic or foreign experts. Well, folks. it is taking an act of Congress to get help to the Gulf:
Hutchison and LeMieux Introduce Legislation to Provide Assistance to Oil Spill Clean Up Effort

Bill Would Temporarily Allow Foreign Vessels to Help Remove Oil from Gulf



WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Committee member Senator George LeMieux (R-Fla.), and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), today introduced legislation that would temporarily allow foreign marine vessels to assist with the oil cleanup effort in the Gulf of Mexico. The bill, titled the WAIVER (Water Assistance from International Vessels for Emergency Response) Act, would temporarily waive the Jones Act, which requires that all goods and people transported by water between United States ports be carried in American flagged, owned, and crewed ships. The waiver would allow foreign flagged vessels with crucial equipment to travel between U.S. ports to provide needed assistance. The Jones Act was put into place in 1920 to ensure that the United States was able to maintain a fleet of merchant ships.



“The oil leaking from the ocean’s floor is destroying the natural resources of the Gulf and we need every resource at our disposal to prevent further destruction,” said Senator Hutchison. “The Jones Act is currently preventing resources from being used in the monumental cleanup effort, and is hindering the ability of foreign vessels to assist Gulf communities in preventing oil from reaching their shores. In this time of crisis, we need to cut through the red tape and get all available assets on scene as quickly as possible.”



“With still only 20 skimmers off the coast of Florida, we need to expedite additional assistance. Any vessels ready to help should be allowed into the Gulf,” Senator LeMieux said. “This bill will provide for a streamlined waiver process for any foreign vessel willing and able to help mitigate the impacts of the spill. We can no longer wait for the Administration to work through its bureaucracy. We need action now to clean our precious waters and protect our beaches from further intrusion of oil.”



Senator Hutchison noted that the Jones Act was waived as part of disaster response in the past, including to assist with Hurricane Katrina nearly five years ago. She said the legislation will waive the Jones Act only for vessels whose sole intent is to assist in the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico. This waiver would be applied for a period of time that is necessary to respond to the spill and restore the waters of the Gulf.



“The administration has failed to issue a waiver on the Jones Act, which is blockading foreign vessels from working with their American counterparts to remove the oil from the waters of the Gulf,” Senator Hutchison said. “The federal response to this spill has been unacceptable, and we cannot wait around until the disaster gets worse. I look forward to working with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to pass this common sense legislation, which will allow foreign vessels responding to the spill to get to work immediately.”



# # #

Cong. Louie Gohmert: "Either Mass sucks or blows"

Cong. Louie Gohmert (R-TX Dist 1) - in 1999 in the Clinton Administration, someone made a price adjustment and it cost the US Government. Cong. Gohmert talked about the oil spill - that the team to inspect thejob was a father and son team. What is going on is a travesty. I am a beiever in drilling where God gave us resources, but we need to do so carefully. Even when Katrina came, some rigs were ripped out, but the blowout preventers worked perfectly.

When asking about the oil drilling moratorium, Gohmert said the Administration has no idea what they are doing. The BP victimes' families, in their grief, have said don't hurt these other families.

Cong Ed Markey (D-Mass), supports a moritorium and could produce electricity using wind generation, but they oppose that too. "You use electricity. I don'tknow if Mass sucks or blows, but you use energy and don't want the wind generation in your back yards."

We putresources off limits that could produce a trillion barrels of oil and that is equal to what is in the MIddle East. Now we have learned we may have several times over that amoung in the US.

God blessed this country with resources, and we should be using them.

Cong. Kevin Brady interviewed at RightOnLine in Dallas

AFP Texas Advisory Chairman interviewed Cong. Kevin Brady.

Brady - "Ben, you are a job creater. Thank you for what you do."

We are so deep in debt and the national deficit is averaging $1 trillion over the nexgt decade. They pick industries they can blame and go after them with higher taxes. They are outsourcing the energy industry. We have new taxes on capital gains, investment, savings. While some Bush tax cuts may be extended, they will focus on taxing people who work hard to creat jobs.

What is the D plan to eliminate or retain the middle class tax cuts? Dems in the House consider much of the middle class to be wealthy and many Americans don't even pay taxes, as you know. If the Bush tax cuts go away, Americans will pay $3,000 more a year.

The TX sales tax exemption is again at risk. It has expired and the D's are using that as an excuse to bring in new tax increases. $1.2 billion/yr for Texans is saved by making the sales tax exemption permanent. (Texans do not have a state income tax and we like it that way, so we should be able to deduct our sales taxes from our federal taxes.)

The current ObamaCare bill is poorly written and eliminates so many people and they took some things out of the bill as a gimmick to balance the bill.

We know there is a fight and we are ready for it.

The interview was live broadcast from the Americans for Prosperity booth at the RPT convention.

Cong. Michael McCaul - we can take this country back

Cong. Michael McCaul, interviewed by Will lutz at the RightOnLine booth at the RPT convention, was asked if Republicans learned why they lost two years ago. Are we ready to take over?

We definitely are ready to take over - the Party had experienced "Bush Fatigue" but now we have a common enemy and a common goal -- to defeat Obama, Pelosi and Reid.

I don't take earmarks -- the system is broken and corrupt. We must stand by our principles -- cut spending, cut taxes, stop czars, securing the border and defeating the real enemy - radical Islam.

Fundamentally, the majority of spending goes to entitlements - we need entitlement reform so we aren't spending so much of your money. This Pres has spent more money than all other presidents combined -- our debt is such that we won't leave a better America to our children who will owe that $14 trillion debt. If you earned $1 million a day from the day Christ was born, you would not have $14 trillion.

We can take this country back. I am working hard to make sure we take back Congress and get Nancy Pelosi out of the Chair.

The border is a dangerous issue - other than Mexical crossingss, many other ethnicities are crossing the border.

AmericaIsSpeakingOut.com - we want to hear from the American people, said McCaul, and tell us what is most important to you. The Washington agenda should be driven by the American people.

www.LoneStarReport.org will have the videos archived.

Ted Cruz interviewed at RightOnLine

Ted Cruz is interviewed at the RightOnLine booth at the RPT convention in Dallas, focusing on the success of the tea parties and defending individual liberty and the Tenth Amendment.

Former Solicitor General Cruz was asked about his future plans -- he had been a candidate for Attorney General in Texas should Judge Abbott leave the office to seek another office...he was the sole Republican in the race, a testimony to his strength.

The race didn't take place - what is next? I am not sure. When Sen. Hutchison decided not to resign, he offered to return his donors' contributions.

Ted Cruz has been a strong defender of free market principles...www.TedCruz.org. He intends to run again. There is a need for leadership.

Will Lutz interviews Mrs. Tincy Miller, Texas SBOE

Texas' elected State Board of Education member Tincy Miller is being interviewed by Lone Star Report's Will Lutz.

Will Lutz can you dispell some misperceptions:

Thomas Jeffersonis listed at least 25 times in our curriculum. The debate is whether or not Thomas Jefferson was in world history -- he is in because he was influenced by some of the great thinkers...

Indoctrination is always something SBOE members are accused of - Miller said the SBOE works to influence that this country was formed onn religious principles but they came to the US because of religious persecution and that freedom of religion is what we are encouraging be discussed in the classroom.

"We focused on accuracy and balance so students have the facts." - Mrs. Miller

Bill Ames played a significant role in making sure the good things about America are included in the curriculum. Mrs. Miller said Bill had pointed out to her that "The Battle of Normandy was a failed event" and other inaccuracies in the textbooks. Bill set down with publishers and Bill conveyed the mistakes and the misperceptions in the textbooks. The publishers made some changes. Mrs. Miller asked Bill to be part of the team proposing the curriculum.

Textbooks in electronic form -- the review process is the controoversial aspect of electronic textbooks. the Textbook funds should not be sued for laptops - that the laptop is not a book, but is a device. They slipped in that a Kindle or an open source could be used as a texboook, bypassing the State Board of Education and it be on a list for state dollars to be used to buy it. Bias could be written into these new technology and the digital world should not bypass the SBOE (parents, teachers and public review) of textbooks and content.

The Permanent School Fund, created by our forefathers in 1876 dedicated to the children of TX for books. It is in the Constitution and the SBOE is the sole body overseeing the fund. It has been well managed and build to a $22 billion fund, generating $700 million year. Legisaltors look at the fund as a "dipping pool" to use those dollars for other purposes, even to balance the budget...

These dollars are protected by the SBOE and for the schoolchildren of Texas. WE have a strong reading program and textbooks - the strongest in the country. Miller is a reading expert for kids with dislexia and she is a leader helping students.

The leegislature needs to appropriate the money (out of the dedicated fund, not tax dollars) but the legisalture needs to release those funds to make sure our students get their books.

Generations of children have benefitted from the SBOE.

RightOnline interview with Peggy Venable

AFP State Director Peggy Venable took her turn in the RightOnline hot seat at the hottest booth at the RPT state convention in Dallas.

She said the battlecry of conservatives now is "November is Coming!"

"The grassroots of this country are fed up with the out-of-control spending and the stripping away of our freedoms," she said. "All over this nation, people are letting their tax-and-spend elected officials know that 'November is Coming.'"

To let your elected officials know that you won't stand for more spending, higher taxes, or policies that take away our freedoms, then sign the November is Coming petition at www.NovemberIsComing.com.

AFP's Defending the American Dream Summit is also on the calendar for July 2-3.

"This is a great opportunity for people who want to learn how to be more active online, through the new media training we'll be doing at the summit," she said. "Not only will you learn how to be effective in changing public policy online, but we'll provide top-notch grassroots training so you can impact what's happening at the local, state and federal levels."

The lineup for the Summit includes: Gov. Rick Perry, the Hon. Ted Cruz, Herman Cain, Steven Crowder, John Fund, Steven Moore, Craig James, Janine Turner and more.

There's also a training track just for middle school and high school-aged students called Young Patriots. The training will be conducted by the Patriot Academy and will teach students the founding principles that make our nation exceptional in the world.

More info on the summit can be found at www.TXDream.org.

Venable also touted AFP's new effort, Lone Star Strong:

"We're the beacon of fiscal sanity in this country, and we want to talk about why and how our leaders have helped us get there," she said.

Texas is the No. 1 state for job creation, for businesses, for government transparency and much more. See all of the ways Texas is No. 1 at www.LoneStarStrong.com

Lt Gov Dewhurst is interviewed at ROL booth at RPT

Lt. Gov David Dewhurst is interviewed by Ben Streusand


Upcoming session, we will have a blanced budget without raising taxes, and we have redistricting -- we have a busy session upcoming.

We have transportation, public education and higher education challengs. Washington -- ObamaCare, spending, offshore mratorium on drilling, this Administration does not respect states rights.

We will absolutely balance the budget without raising taxes, we did it in 2003 and we were told we had a $5 billion deficit which was actually $10 billion deficit. I came in Jan 2003 and we had that large deficit, no savings.

Fast forward, in 2007, we saved the surplus so last year we were one of 6 states in the Black instead of other states in the red. That is critical as our bond ratings are good and we don't want our credit rating to go down. We must hold onto $4-5 billion or 5% of our budget. Last year, in the middle of a terrible recession, only 2 states whose credit ratings improved -- North Dakota and TEXAS with 25 million people.

In last 10 years, only one state that created net new jobs -- TEXAS.

We need to use some of the rainy day funds to fill the budget gap, we have a umber of sources of revenue, last year we made a decision not to touch the rainy day fund - it will grow to $10.2- $10.7 billing. Just asked the Gov and Speaker to sign on a measure to tighten our belts to the tune of $9 billion. We must make sure we save for the coming years.

We need to save for 2013.

Is leadership trying to make sure fed dollars don't have strings attached? Yes, ObamaCare does not improve health outcomes, we have measures, ideas, proposals -- two blockbuster bills were introduced last year to pay doctors more and pay for outcomes, but ObamaCare doesn't do that. It adds 2 million people to the state roles. ObamaCare will cost TX $27 BILLION TX dollars! That will cut into public ed, higher ed, buildling roads -- that is not right, said Dewhurst.

Voter ID? The Senate passed the bill last session. Americans have shed blood to protect the sanctity of our votes -- you can't check out a library book without a photo ID. We must protect the sanctity of our votes.

Does the Republican party need to change and elect more conservative candidates who stand for the principles? The Tea Paries, made of Ds and Rs has energized the voters.

The growth in our state budget has been under population and inflation growth. I have comfort that legislators will do the right thing.

Dewhurst said we must repeal and replace ObamaCare in each and very state. We must collect signatures for RevereAmerica -- sign up and remind the Administration we don't like this. Sign the petition at the Dewhurst booth - or to go DavidDewhurst.com.

RightOnLine interviews Chairman Wayne Christian

State Rep. Wayne Christian (Center, TX, in East TX) is chairman of the Republican Party of Texas Platform Committee Chairman. Ben Sttreusand, AFP-TX Advisory Chairman, is interviewing Chrmn Christian.

"We have awakened citizens of Texas" said Christian. He is also president of the TX legislattive caucus Texas Conservative Coalition. Christian explained how this coalition is the only conservaitve caucus and the requirements for legislators to be a member, holding legislators accountable.

They are now the largest caucus next to the party caucus.

Rep. Christian is the first legislator to head the platform committee "If you want to make an ass out of yourself, there is another party that has that as their mascot."

The Platform Committee finished a day early and he talked about the significant changes they have made which the RPT Convention will vote on.

He stressed the accountability they are requiring for Republican officials -- and that this is the FIRST time the platform will be significant to all Republican candidates and officeholders.

The biblls will be introduced and there will be a scorecard for Legislators and voters know how they upheld the platform. Cathie Adams was BOLD to allow the Platform Committee to do this.

How aboutthe Speakers race? now the voters will know what is happening, and it will not be done behind closed doors (thanks to Cahtie Adams and Kelly Shackelford) -- the more open we can have it the better!

Will here be a race? "I hope so" says Christian. I've been with Peggy Venable at many of the tea parties -- and many had the attitude "throw the bums out" but now we have given us one more time to follow thru on our conservative principles. I have driven 5,000 miles bringing legislators and citizens together, zigzagging the state saying peole want to take over Congress, and in the same election we can determine our largest Congressional delegation in TX as the state elgislature will do the redistricting...we MUST connect the sat house with Washington, DC.


In November, we have a chance to make a difference for the future of our nation. Sign our November is Coming petition now - www.NovemberIsComing.com.

RightOnline interview with RPT Chairman Candidate Steve Munisteri

Retired businessman Steve Munisteri is hoping to woo the delegates at the Republican Party of Texas State Convention to elect him chairman of the state Republican party.

He's been a delegate himself for many years, attending both state and national convention. His first one was in 1976 when he was in high school, and the SREC race that year was decided by 1 vote - from a member of his high school group of delegates.

Munisteri says there's a a large problem that needs to be addressed, regarding the party's values and principals.

"If we were true to our values, we would not have Barack Obama as president in the first place," he said.

Regarding finances, he said he'd like to reduce the amount of party funds designated for telemarketing and mass mailings, and go to a one-on-one system of contacting donors to contribute.

He said the party needs to get back to grassroots organization in the state, encouraging state-wide block walks and better coordination among candidates and the grassroots activists.

Munisteris said, "There's no reason to have a party, unless you're going to stand on principles." He called for a clear way to disseminate information on where a candidate stands on issues, and he thinks the best way to do that is to post candidate positions on the RPT website.

He ended by saying, "The differences between the three RPT chair candidates is so small compared to the need to protect our country from what the liberals in Washington are doing."

RightOnLine booth line-up

Friday, June 11 the RightOnLine booth will feature an all-star lineup:

Galeston /county Tax Assessor Collector - Cheryl Johnson, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, State Rep. Wayne Christian (President of the Texas Conservative Coalition), Lt Gov. David Dewhurst, The Hon. Ted Cruz, SBOE member Tincy Miller, Texas Workforce Chairman Tom Pauken, Governor Rick Perry, US Senator John Cornyn, AG Greg Abbott, Sen. Florence Shapiro, and we also have Cong. Burgess and McCaul scheduled.

It IS an all-star line-up.

Thanks, RightOnLine for providing opportunity for bloggers to talk to these dignitaries!

Texas RightOnLine booth has stellar line-up of guests

Cathie Adams is interviewed at the RPT Convention: At the 2010 Republican State Convention in Dallas, Cathie Adams touts running Texas Eagle Forum for 16 years and has experience recruiting candiates and her background as a grassroots worker. Plans to raise $7 m in 10 months - then training and recruiting candidates...has raised $2 million in 7 months, "the convention is paid in full - we have only good news at the convention in the area of our finances."

RightOnLine launches at 2010 RPT Convention

We are here at the Republican State Convention in Dallas with the RightOnLine booth. Today, the three candidates for Republican Party of Texas (RPT) Chairman are being interviewed - Tom Mechler, Current Chairman Cathie Adams, and Steve Munisteri. We are starting a few minutes late due to "technical difficulties" and the interviews will be posted later on YouTube (stay tuned).

In the guest seat now is Tom Mechler and interviewer is Ben Streusand of KSEV and KCVE Radio in Houston and Dallas respectively.

Seat has now switched to Cathie Adams, curent Chairman and former head of Texas Eagle Forum.

City of Grapevine screws taxpayers

The City of Grapevine officials should be awarded Hall of Shame recognition for going behind closed doors and hiring a former legislator and his lobby firm.

The City has been charged with violation of the Open Meetings Act and many taxpayers are angry not only at the tactics used to take the action, but that the City is using tax dollars to hire a lobbyist who has opposed taxpayer protections.

Fred Hill, hired by the City of Grapevine for $3,500 a month, was accused by an investigative reporter of forming his lobby firm and negotiating contracts before he told his constituents he would retire from his legislative seat. (See: http://www.scribd.com/doc/12343493/Fred-Hill-registration-for-Solutions-for-Local-Control-LLC and
http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2009/02/former-state-rep-fred-hill-now-lobbying-on-behalf-of-cities-counties/)

Taxpayer funded lobbying fuels the big-government growth machine. Most taxpayers are unaware that while they are working hard to earn a living, take care of their family, and pay their taxes, taxpayer-funded lobbyists are advocating higher taxes and more government spending.

The City of Grapevine has betrayed the taxpayers’ trust and flagrantly circumvented any opportunity for public scrutiny of their decision to use tax dollars to hire a city lobbyist.

But their action has not gone without criticism and challenge. The Grapevine City Council is being sued by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram because of secret discussions the council held before hiring the taxpayer-funded lobbyist Fred Hill. The council did so under the advice of none-other than that bastion of anti-taxpayer activities, the Texas Municipal League.

The Star-Telegram reported on the issue: "Grapevine creates 'office of city lobbyist' after suit on secret discussions"

Many taxpayers agree it is an affront to them for local governments to hire lobbyists, particularly if they are hired to oppose taxpayer protections.

Many Grapevine taxpayers are expressing outrage by the utter contempt the Grapevine City Council has shown their constituents.

First, it appears the Grapevine City Council doesn’t think the public should be included in discussions about or informed regarding the City’s decision to use tax dollars to hire a lobbyist, and second, they think paying a lobbyist with tax dollars to lobby AGAINST your best interests is a good idea.

AFP has been leading the fight against taxpayer-funded lobbying, and we want to send the Grapevine City Council a message that it's NOT okay to make decisions like this behind the backs of the taxpayers. It is even worse that they're paying a lobbyist using tax dollars, whose job will be to lobby against for higher taxes and fewer restrictions on city government.

We want to host a protest in front of Grapevine City Hall within the next couple of weeks, but we want to hear from you first -- Let's get creative! What is the best way to send the message that We the Taxpayers won't stand for this kind of activity?

Let me know by emailing me at cindy@afptx.org. Let's get organized and take action!

Americans for Prosperity has researched the growth in government spending and traced it back to antics like using tax dollars to hire lobbyists to increase earmarks and grow government. http://www.americansforprosperity.org/files/PolicyPaperTFL2008.pdf

Who are the members of the Grapevine City Council? Mike Lease, Place 3; Chris Coy, Place 5; Sharron Spencer, Place 2; Mayor William D. Tate; Roy Stewart, Place 6; Mayor Pro Tem C. Shane Wilbanks, Place 1, and Darlene Freed, Place 4.

Council members are elected at large for three-year terms.

Council meetings are held in Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 200 South Main Street, on the first and third Tuesday evenings of each month at 7:30 pm.

The City has an official “suggestion box” where citizens can weigh in. Take advantage of it:

http://www.grapevinetexas.gov/Government/CityCouncilandBoards/CityCouncil/CityCouncilSuggestionBox.aspx

Stay tuned – we will keep the City of Grapevine and Fred Hill on our radar screen and in the blog.

Texans can breath easier thanks to Texas policies

Texas is our nation's energy capital, producing and refining a large portion of the energy products that our nation depends on. While we are the major energy producing state, we also have achieved trmendous success in improving air quality:

• The air Texans breathe today is cleaner than it was in 2000, even though our population has grown by nearly 3.5 million people.

• Between 2000 and 2008, while Texas NOx levels decreased by 46% and ozone levels by 22%, national NOx levels fell by only 27%, and national ozone levels declined by only 8%. In comparison, ozone levels in Illinois have only fallen by 12% since 1999.

• All major Texas metropolitan areas currently meet the 1997 federal eight-hour ozone standard, with the exception of the DFW area, which is within 1 part per billion of meeting the standard. Preliminary data indicates that Houston met the standard for the first time in 2009.

• In a comparison with 20 eastern and southern states that are most comparable to Texas because the location of industrial facilities and natural ozone levels, Texas is second only to Georgia (25%) in the largest decrease in ozone levels from 2000 to 2008.

• Despite being the nation's energy capital, Texas has the eleventh lowest NOx emissions rate for power plants among all states according to EPA data.

• According to Department of Energy and EPA data, since 2000, Texas' CO2 emissions from fossil fuel usage have actually fallen by more than almost any other state and every country except Germany as a result of our policies to foster renewable energy, make the electricity market more competitive and efficient, and improve our environment.

ObamaCare will bankrupt our country

According to one recent estimate, Obamacare will add more than $500 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years and $1.5 trillion in the decade following.

Remember how President Barack Obama promised that his health care plan would reduce the deficit and put us on a path towards fiscal responsibility? Remember how Congress kept gaming the system to come up with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score that could justify those claims? Well, now that Obamacare has become (hopefully only temporarily) the law of the land, the CBO is singing a slightly different tune. Last Friday CBO Director Doug Elmendorf wrote on his blog:
The central challenge is straightforward and stark: The rising costs of health care will put tremendous pressure on the federal budget during the next few decades and beyond.

The Heritage Foundation has some startling information worth a read:
http://blog.heritage.org/2010/06/02/morning-bell-obamacares-true-costs-coming-to-light/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell

Texas named #1 in Closing the Expectations Gap

Texas was recently praised in Education Week magazine for its adoption of college- and career-ready standards, and for holding schools accountable for ensuring students are college-ready.

Each year, on the anniversary of the 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools, Achieve (www.Achieve.org) releases a 50-state progress report on the alignment of high school policies with the demands of college and careers. Closing the Expectations Gap, 2010 is the fifth annual report in this series. The report details state progress implementing the American Diploma Project policy agenda. Download the PDF. (March 2010

Only Texas met all of the American Diploma Project standards: http://www.achieve.org/files/KeyResults2010.pdf

President is derelict in duties

In Grand Isle, when Obama made his trip, workers had been bused in to clean the beach. The workers were there abobut an hour and when Obama left, they got back in buses and left.

I heard this from a friend and now I hear it was on the 5 pm news in New Orleans.

When I worked at US Dept of the Interior (in various positions - Secretary's public affairs, running Take Pride in America, and White House Liaison), the media would have dogged the MMS director AND the Secretary AND the President.

This is a "photo op" President and he is perpetuating a HUGH cover-up.

Why is CA broke and TX prosperous?

California vs. Texas

Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out and attacks dog.

California :

#1. Governor starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural.

#2. He calls animal control. Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 upon relocating it.

#3. He calls veterinarian. Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases.

#4. Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged.

#5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while wildlife services conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals.

#6. Governor spends $50,000 of state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area.

#7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease.

#8. Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack and for letting the Governor intervene.

#9. Cost: $75,000 to train new security agent.

#10. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state.

Texas :

#1. Governor shoots coyote and keeps jogging. Governor has spent
$0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge. Buzzards eat dead coyote.


Any wonder why California is broke and Texas has $8 billion in the bank? See how good public policy has helped create prosperity in Texas: www.LoneStarStrong.com

Texas State Board of Education deserves a round of applause

You will likely be reading misrepresentations regarding what the Texas elected State Board of Education has done in approving the social studies curriculum.

If you hear they have taken Thomas Jefferson out of the curriculum, don't believe it. If you hear that they have replaced the concept of slavery with references to the "Atlantic Triangular Trade", don't believe it.

The Texas (anti-)Freedom Network, working with the American Atheists, Inc., have been busy distorting the truth about the work the SBOE has done.

After hours and hours of public testimony, and numerous educators and citizens reviewing the proposed curriculum, and after the LEFT proposing that the standards vote be delayed, the SBOE did their work and did it well.

Watch the Liberty Institute call out and expose Texas Freedom Network (TFN) on live national television. Watch Campbell Brown apologize and blame TFN for the mistake.
http://texaslegislativeupdate.wordpress.com/

Yes, the price of freedom IS eternal vigilance. Thanks, SBOE, for a job well done!

-- Peggy Venable

Read more: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/052110-texas-state-board-education-deserves-round-applause#ixzz0obfBnA8y

Texans Say “Go for it” --

Three out of four Texans support challenging ObamaCare in court. And 73% of the Texans polled opposed ObamaCare in the first place. Those are the findings a group which focuses on what Texans are thinking. Go to www.TexasResearch.org to read more.

I fought tyrany overseas, didn't expect to fight it here at home...

In Bulverde recently, I was approached by a tea party attendee who said he wanted to talk to me. He said, “I am 88 years old. I fought in WWII, in the Korean War and in Vietnam. It was my choice. I wanted to fight tyrants. Never did I think that I would need to fight on in my own country.” He went on to say that when he entered the military, he was told that his country would provide him with lifetime health care. He said now he lives on Social Security and has to spend $250 a month of that $1,000 for his Medicare D. He said “that is wrong. I have a retirement so I can afford to pay it. I am not wealthy. I have $1,400 to live off a month. But the government’s commitment to the military is not being upheld. Thanks, ObamaCare!

You can take this program and shove it, says Gov. Perry

PERRY REJECTS FEDERAL HEALTH CARE INSURANCE POOL
Gov. Rick Perry today told the federal health and human services commissioner that Texas will not participate in creating a high risk health insurance pool under the new federal health care law. Perry said the program lacks rules to guide the states and appears to be underfunded at the federal level. Perry cited conditions similar to those that caused him to pull out of applying for the federal Race to the Top education funding grants.




http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2010/04/perry_rejects_f.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+houstonchronicle%2Ftexaspolitics+%28Texas+Politics%29

The Porn-site-surfing feds are here to help

Democrats have decided that in order to prevent Wall Street from starting more financial meltdowns, wrecking the economy and leaving the American taxpayer holding the bag, we need to give more oversight authority to the same government employees who were busy surfing Internet porn as private investors frantically tried to warn them about Bernie Madoff. Ann Coulter had it right: http://townhall.com/columnists/AnnCoulter/2010/04/29/washington_takes_a_break_from_porn_surfing_to_bail_out_wall_street

FedEx, Teamsters Battle Over Bill

FedEx and the Teamsters are battling over aviation legislation that will contain provisions to make it easier for unions to organize airline workers.

Congress is, yet again, attempting to expand the role of unions and regulation by forcing this bill on to the employees at FedEx. None of these articles interview or quote a FedEx employee ...do they even want this bill, which would probably force FedEx to downsize?

Something has gone terribly wrong when the health and well-being of a large American corporation depends on whether the government treats it as an "airline" or a "trucking company." Why should the government treat these two types of companies differently in the first place? And if it does treat them the same, why does that require the involvement of powerful unions?

The following is an article from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. The FAA re-authorization bill is currently in House-Senate conference committee. As you’ll see, the Teamsters have made this issue a major priority to make the House bill (w/ the Brown Bailout language) override the Senate bill. Senator Hutchison is on the conference committee and has signaled her opposition to the Brown Bailout language; however continued communications are encouraged as the conference committee debate continues. - Peggy Venable, AFP-TX director

FedEx, Teamsters Battle Over Bill
Wall Street Journal
Josh Mitchell
April 19

FedEx Corp. and the Teamsters union are battling over whether wide-ranging aviation legislation will contain provisions to make it easier for unions to organize airline employees and harder for carriers to cut costs by allying with rivals or outsourcing maintenance.

A House version of the bill to fund the Federal Aviation Administration—a three-year, $54 billion package passed last year—contains several pro-union provisions. A two-year, $35 billion Senate version doesn't. Lawmakers from both chambers are set to negotiate a final version within the next few weeks.

Lobbyists for unions and industry groups are stepping up efforts to influence the outcome.

The Teamsters are pushing a measure that would make it easier for FedEx Corp. employees to unionize. FedEx says allowing workers to organize locally would contradict legal precedent and cause uncertainty, with the prospect of local strikes disrupting its entire operation.

Also, airline-employee unions are backing a provision to make it harder for carriers to collaborate on certain routes, which unions say can cost jobs in the U.S. And the AFL-CIO is lobbying for a measure to require U.S. inspections of overseas maintenance facilities, which some airlines use because they cost less than U.S. operations.

Passing the House version of the bill "is a major, major priority of ours," says Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department.

But industry groups say that the labor-backed provisions would hurt airlines and related industries, threatening thousands of U.S. jobs.

The provision designed to rein in industry alliances would strip airlines of longstanding antitrust exemptions within three years, forcing the carriers to reapply for the exemptions. The Air Transport Association, the industry's main trade group, says the bill would disrupt operations and could cost 15,000 jobs.

President Barack Obama, who was elected with strong union support, hasn't taken a public stance on the House's FAA bill. A White House spokesman didn't respond to a request for comment.

A factor in the bargaining could be concerns that European Union objections to certain elements of the House bill would jeopardize U.S.-EU talks to further deregulate air travel over the Atlantic. The EU has warned the House bill would invite retaliatory measures from European countries.
The main proponent of the union-backed measures is House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D., Minn.), a longtime critic of airline alliances. Mr. Oberstar also supports tougher restrictions on foreign ownership of airlines.

Nine of his top 11 campaign contributors are labor unions, including the Teamsters, the Air Line Pilots Association and the Machinists/Aerospace Workers union, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The nine have contributed a total $722,800 to Mr. Oberstar's campaigns. Another top contributor is FedEx rival United Parcel Service Inc., which has given $83,400 to the lawmaker's campaigns, the center says.

Jim Berard, a spokesman for Mr. Oberstar, says the congressman is a union worker's son who has always fought for workers' rights and isn't influenced by campaign contributions.

Critics of the House bill, including airlines and FedEx, are also major campaign contributors and big spenders on lobbying. UAL Corp.'s United Air Lines Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. have contributed $43,100 and $40,100, respectively, to the campaigns of Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D., W.Va.), who sponsored the Senate version that the airline industry favors. A spokeswoman for Mr. Rockefeller didn't respond to a request for comment.

FedEx, based in Memphis, Tenn., is a top campaign contributor of Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.), who has threatened to hold up the legislation if the provision on FedEx unionization is included. Mr. Corker's office didn't respond to a request for comment.

The House bill would place some of FedEx's drivers and other employees under the National Labor Relations Act, allowing employees to organize locally. UPS drivers are governed by that law. The Teamsters says the bill would ensure fairness across the industry.

"Their drivers, their loaders, their unloaders, they have the same training, they perform the same duties as all the other employees within the industry, who are rightfully covered" by the act, says Ken Hall, Teamsters vice president and package division director.

FedEx argues that it is properly covered under the Railway Labor Act because of the history and arrangement of its air and ground networks.